CHAPTER 45: CHAPTER 45: SEAMLESS DEDUCTIVE TECHNIQUES

As soon as the words were spoken, everyone’s eyes turned to Jiang An.

At this moment, the participants’ emotions were complex.

Surprise, confusion, doubt...

Originally, everyone admired and recognized Jiang An.

His professional skills are solid, his criminal investigation aptitude is exceptional, and he is practical and humble.

Suddenly, some old colleagues silently shook their heads.

Dare you challenge the conclusions of the entire task force?

That’s the consensus reached by many big shots in the criminal investigation circle.

Isn’t this youthful arrogance?

Sitting beside Jiang An, Zhang Yean tugged at his sleeve and quietly reminded him, "Brother, think carefully before you speak."

Jiang An looked at Zhang Yean and smiled.

Chen He glanced at Jiang An, and his lips curved slightly.

Two consecutive commendations, the person gets a little carried away.

Li Jian furrowed his brow and said, "Oh!"

He cast a glance at the case files on the desk and said, "You haven’t even finished reading these files, yet you have reached a conclusion?"

Jiang An nodded.

"Tell us what you think!"

Instantly, everyone turned their heads, their attention focused entirely on Jiang An.

Some were in anticipation.

Others were in doubt.

Jiang An then said, "Although I haven’t reviewed the case files, I believe the photographic evidence is more direct and richer in information."

Sitting beside Jianghe, Wan said, "Just now, those photos were only from the scene investigation; many autopsy photos haven’t been displayed yet."

Jiang An replied, "For analyzing the nature of this case, it’s sufficient!"

Upon hearing this, Wan sneered.

I want to see how you justify using less than 20 photos.

He cast a disdainful look at Jiang An.

Jiang An looked up at the projector screen and said solemnly, "I’ll first throw out my conclusion."

"I think this is a case of intentional murder, not a burglary turned into a robbery murder."

Upon hearing this, many people shook their heads.

Some older colleagues even sighed.

Burglaries turned robbery murders are centered on gaining property.

Intentional murder revolves around the intent to kill.

From monetary gain to causing death.

This is a fundamental difference.

Li Jian’s eyebrows raised.

"Any reasons?"

Jiang An nodded, his face composed, his expression grave.

"I have three pillars of evidence."

"Go ahead."

Jiang An stated seriously, "The first pillar is the traces of rummaging at the scene."

As soon as the words were spoken, an old detective said, "Young man, wardrobes and drawers were rummaged through and opened, and valuables were missing."

"Isn’t this the main indication that the suspect was seeking money?"

Another young officer added, "Precisely! That young female victim’s performance bonus was also stolen."

Others nodded in agreement.

After all, this was the primary factor in the task force’s determination of the case nature back then.

Rummaging of items and loss of valuables inferred the suspect’s motive was financial gain.

Is there a flaw in this logic?

Even confronting Sherlock Holmes, he would nod upon hearing this.

Could a pear tree blossom into peach flowers?

Li Jian remained silent, merely shifting his gaze towards Jiang An.

Confronted with everyone’s doubts, Jiang An’s mood remained unaffected.

He stayed composed, speaking seriously, "You all make valid points."

"This crime scene, at first glance, seems like the perpetrator’s aim was financial gain."

"Whether it’s the two secondary bedrooms or the master bedroom, the wardrobe and drawer doors are mostly opened."

"Although the extent of missing valuables is uncertain, at least the loss of some valuables can be confirmed."

"Especially the female nurse’s wallet, containing 2000 yuan in cash, which I believe was indeed stolen."

Then Jiang An’s gaze sharpened as he shifted his tone, saying, "But!"

"I wonder if you all acknowledge my point."

"The extent of rummaging of wardrobes and drawers is excessive, even the living room TV cabinet drawers were opened."

This assertion instantly caused an uproar at the scene.

If one does not rummage through wardrobes to steal, how would money find itself there?

What kind of analysis technique is this?

It’s utterly illogical!

...

Li Jian suddenly froze, recalling the first crime scene.

Back then, he was still a young officer, accompanying Mr. Ma to the primary crime scene.

He vividly remembers the scene layout, positioning of items, and the location of corpses back then.

For a moment, fear flashed across Li Jian’s face.

Before he could respond, Jiang An said, "Ladies and gentlemen, do you think a thief would go hunting through every single storage compartment?"

"No! They don’t have the time for that!"

"They would definitely aim for quick finds, searching for valuables purposefully."

"Wardrobe doors, safe doors being opened, I understand."

"But the TV cabinet, coffee table drawers being opened, I don’t understand."

"Furthermore, the mess on the floor gives a false impression of excessive rummaging."

Suddenly, the conference room went silent.

Everyone was looking at the projection screen, while Wan was scrolling through the scene photos.

Moments later, some people quietly nodded.

It makes sense!

The scattered items at the scene were indeed quite messy.

.....

After quite some time, Li Jian and Chen He exchanged glances, and nodded where their gazes met.

Li Jian gestured for everyone to be silent.

Li Jian said quietly, "Jiang An, go on!"

After the venue calmed down, Jiang An continued, "So, I believe the perpetrator’s goal was to kill, but before leaving, they disguised it as a theft motive."

Jiang An advanced his perspective once again.

This time, there weren’t many voices of criticism or doubt.

Some even nodded knowingly.

After a brief pause, Jiang An said, "My second pillar of evidence is the distribution of the victims’ injures."

Hearing this, many young officers cast curious looks.

Can the victims’ injuries reveal the nature of the case?

Isn’t examining injuries usually for determining the murder weapon or deducing the cause of death?

Amidst the confusion, Jiang An showcased his forensic deduction abilities once again.

He said, "In this case, there were four victims: a couple, an elderly mother, and a nurse."

"However! The distribution of injuries among these four people varies greatly."

"Among the four, the couple suffered the most injuries."

"The least injured was the elderly mother."

"Why is there such a large difference in injuries among four people in the same environment?"

"From my perspective, this is not coincidental, but rather a result of choosing."

Once these words were spoken, everyone fell into deep thought.

Finally, Jiang An stated solemnly, "I think the perpetrator’s target was the couple, while the other two people were merely in the wrong place at the wrong time."